The present invention relates to the general field of fishing accessories and is particularly concerned with a fishing lure having a retractable hook.
Artificial fishing lures are used extensively by many fishing enthusiasts. Such artificial fishing lures are designed to simulate the natural food source of the fish.
There exists a variety of artificial fishing lure types. One common type of fishing lure is the so-called xe2x80x9chard bodyxe2x80x9d fishing lure. Such xe2x80x9chard bodyxe2x80x9d fishing lure is typically made out of a solid piece of material shaped so as to simulate the appearance of a natural life baitfish such as a minnow or the like.
A common problem that has plagued the use of prior art fishing lures in the past has been that when retrieving or reeling in the lure, the latter oftentimes becomes entangled or encumbered with vegetation, debris or the like. Indeed although underwater brush and weeds form an attractive habitat for many varieties of the fish, the same underwater flora all too often presents an unavoidable snag or trap for fishing lures or jig.
Hence, fishing hooks responsible for snagging the fish are susceptible themselves of being snagged on underwater flora, debris or other obstacles. The problem is compounded when multiple hooks extend from a lure. For example, a so-called treble hook often provides three times the number of snagging barbs than a single barb hook.
As a result of lures being caught or snagged in underwater flora or other obstacles a considerable amount of fishing time is wasted. At best, the lures can be retrieved from weeds or the like through a tedious procedure. Often times, they are deemed unretrievable and must be replaced, hence, incurring additional costs.
Another problem associated with conventional fishing lures, especially lures using treble hooks, is that since the barbed end of the hooks is permanently exposed, the fishermen or other individuals in the vicinity may be injured during handling of the lure. The problem is compounded when the lures are stored in a tackle box and need to be retrieved from a tackle box storing multiple lures.
Problems associated with conventional fixed hook fishing lures have been recognized in the past. Various types of so-called xe2x80x9cweedlessxe2x80x9d fishing lures have been developed. One particular type, exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,258,088 naming E. F. Hogan as the inventor and issued Sep. 16, 1941, uses retractable hooks attached to a lure body. The hooks are mounted so as to be snapped open when a fish bites the lure.
Although somewhat useful, the prior art fishing lures having retractable hooks nevertheless suffer from numerous drawbacks. In general, some of the drawbacks encountered with prior art retractable hook fishing lures include the use of complex mechanisms that lead to increased manufacturing costs and decreased reliability. Other drawbacks include unfavorable orientation of the hooks or barbs for hooking and retrieving fish, the tendency for hooks to return to the retracted weedless position after initially opening in response to a fishing bight and so forth.
One of the main drawbacks associated with prior art retractable hook fishing lures is their lack of versatility or inability to adjust to various fishing conditions and parameters. Indeed, the trigger and biasing components associated with prior art retractable hook fishing lures are typically set to a predetermined threshold. Hence, the fishing line tension at which the hooks will extend to their operational configuration is permanently set to a predetermined value. Furthermore, the strength of the biasing force that biases the hooks towards their retracted configuration is set to a predetermined value.
In prior art devices, the biasing mechanism biasing the hooks towards their retracted configuration exerts a weak biasing force, the hooks may be falsely triggered to their operational fishing configuration for example during surface trolling or in bottom trolling in a densely vegetated area. Conversely, if the biasing mechanism exerts a strong biasing force the hooks will tend to return to their retracted configuration after initially opening in response to a fish bight or may even be unable to be moved to their operational fishing configuration.
Accordingly, in view of the ever present need for a weedless lure, and in view of the significant limitations off the prior art lures, there still exist need for an improved fishing lure having a retractable hook.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved fishing lure.
Advantages of the present invention include that the proposed fishing lure is provided with at least one retractable hook positionable between an operational fishing configuration wherein it can be used to catch fish and a retracted configuration wherein it reduces the risks of being snagged in underwater vegetation or debris.
Also, the proposed fishing lure is designed so as to facilitate replacement of its fishing hook should the latter become damaged or need replacement for other reasons.
Furthermore, the proposed fishing lure is provided with an adjustable biasing mechanism for biasing the hook towards its retracted configuration thus enabling the biasing force to be customized for various fishing conditions and parameters. The adjustment of the strength biasing force exerted on the hook can be performed easily and readily through a set of ergonomical steps without requiring special tooling or manual dexterity.
Still further, the proposed lure is provided with an actuating and a biasing mechanism for selectively moving the hook between its extended and retracted configuration. The proposed actuating and biasing mechanisms are specifically designed so as to be mechanically simple, hence, providing relatively inexpensive and a reliable structure. Still furthermore, the proposed lure allows for deployment of the fishing hook from various positions relative to the lure outer surface. Also, the proposed fishing lure is designed so as to be manufacturable using conventional forms of manufacturing so as to provide a fishing lure that will be economically feasible, long-lasting and relatively trouble-free in operation.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a fishing lure for attachment to a fishing line, the fishing lure allowing selective deployment of a hook, the hook defining a hook attachment end, a hook bight end and a hook shank extending therebetween; the fishing lure comprising: a body, the body being provided with a hook recess projecting thereinto for receiving the hook; a hook pivotal attachment means attached to the body for pivotally attaching the hook to the body so as to allow the hook to pivot between a retracted configuration wherein the hook bight end is substantially housed within the hook recess and an extended configuration wherein the hook bight end is substantially extended out of the hook recess; an actuating mechanism located at least partially within the body between the fishing line and the hook for pivoting the hook towards the extended configuration upon a tension being applied to the fishing line; a biasing means for generating a biasing force, the biasing force biasing the hook towards the retracted configuration; and an adjustment means for adjusting the strength of the biasing force.
Preferably, the actuating mechanism includes: an elongated actuating rod defining a rod first end, a rod second end and a rod longitudinal axis, the actuating rod being slidably inserted in a corresponding rod channel formed in the body for reciprocating movement thereinto between a rod first and a rod second position; a rod-to-hook linking means for linking the actuating rod to the hook and converting the linear reciprocating movement of the actuating rod into a pivoting movement of the hook such that linear movement of the actuating rod towards the rod first position is converted into a pivotal movement of the hook towards the extended configuration and linear movement of the actuating rod towards the rod second position is converted into pivotal movement of the hook towards the hook retracted configuration.
Conveniently, the hook shank has a generally L-shaped configuration defining a shank spacing leg and a generally perpendicular shank abutment leg; the rod-to-hook linking means including a rod eyelet extending from the actuating rod in a direction generally perpendicular to the rod longitudinal axis, the shank abutment leg being inserted in the rod eyelet.
Preferably, the hook attachment end is provided with a hook eyelet and wherein the hook pivotal attachment means includes a hook attachment pin attached to the body and extending through the hook eyelet. Conveniently, the rod eyelet is configured and sized for allowing slidable insertion of the hook eyelet is the rod eyelet. Preferably, the body is made of two half-body sections, the hook attachment pin being also used for securing the half-body sections together.
Conveniently, the biasing means includes a spring component attached to both the body and the actuating rod adjacent the rod second end. Preferably, the spring component is an helicoloidal-type spring defining a spring longitudinal axis, a spring first end and a spring second end, the spring longitudinal axis being in a substantially collinear relationship relative to the rod longitudinal axis.
Conveniently, the adjustment means includes a tensioning shafts in a substantially collinear relationship relative to the rod longitudinal axis, the tensioning shaft being slidably inserted in a corresponding shaft recess formed in the body, the tensioning shaft defining a shaft first end and a shaft second end, the shaft first end being attached to the spring second end and the shaft second end protruding outwardly from the body, the adjustment means also including a shaft positioning means for selectively axially positioning the tensioning shaft relative to the body.
In one embodiment of the invention, the shaft positioning means includes a shaft thread formed on the tensioning shaft and a recess thread formed in the shaft recess, the shaft thread and the recess thread cooperating for positioning the tensioning shaft relative to the body.
Preferably, the spring second end is attached to the tensioning shaft and the spring first end is attached to the actuating rod by a spring-to-rod attachment means, the spring-to-rod attachment means allowing transmission of axial forces between the spring component and the actuating rod without transmitting rotational torque about the rod longitudinal axis between the spring component and the actuating rod.
Conveniently, the spring-to-rod attachment means includes: a spring attachment section formed on the actuating rod adjacent the rod second end, the spring attachment section being configured and sized for slidable insertion of a segment of the spring component thereover; a retaining protrusion formed on the spring attachment section for abuttingly retaining a segment of the spring component over the spring attachment section. Preferably, the retaining protrusion has a generally spherical configuration.
Conveniently, the body is made of a first half-body section and a second half-body section, the first and second half-body sections respectively defining first and second half-body contacting surfaces; the first half-body contacting surface being provided with the rod channel and the shaft recess formed therein; the second half-body contacting surface being provided with the hook recess formed therein. Preferably, the first and second half-body contacting surfaces are provided with corresponding tongue-and-groove arrangements extending therefrom for facilitating assembly of the first and second half-body sections together.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the fishing lure further comprises a pulley mounted within the body and a cable attached between the actuating rod and the fishing line, the cable being redirected by the pulley so as to allow the fishing line to be redirected relative to the body.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided herein, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.